1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to movable body systems, pattern formation apparatus, exposure apparatus and measurement devices, and device manufacturing methods, and more particularly, to a movable body system including a movable body which substantially moves along a predetermined plane, a pattern formation apparatus which is equipped with the movable body system, an exposure apparatus which is equipped with the movable body system, a measurement device arranged in an exposure apparatus, and a device manufacturing method which uses the exposure apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, in a lithography process for manufacturing electron devices (microdevices) such as semiconductor devices (such as integrated circuits) and liquid crystal display devices, exposure apparatuses such as a projection exposure apparatus by a step-and-repeat method (a so-called stepper) and a projection exposure apparatus by a step-and-scan method (a so-called scanning stepper (which is also called a scanner) are mainly used.
However, semiconductor devices will lead to higher integration in the future, and accompanying this, it is certain that the circuit pattern which should be formed on the water will become finer, and further improvement of the position detection precision of wafers and the like will be required in the exposure apparatus which is the mass-production apparatus for semiconductor devices.
For example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0227309, an exposure apparatus which has an encoder type sensor (an encoder head) mounted on a substrate table is disclosed. However, in the case when an encoder head is installed on the substrate table, because the substrate table performs a vertical and inclined movement, there was a risk of the tension which acts on wiring for supplying power and the like to the encoder head interfering with the smooth movement of the substrate table. In the case when a plurality of encoder heads is installed on the substrate table, dragging of such wiring could become a major obstacle.